[ANNEX] AFK
An agency made by gamers, for gamers
[ANNEX] AFK is a new breed of marketing that integrates brands away from keyboard and into gaming culture.
We are the gaming hub of Havas.
We know how to put your brand in gamers’ posse.
We know how to take you AFK.
Gaming isn't just about playing. It is a lifestyle.
Grounded in our strategic approach: The Beautiful Game… With Rocket Powered Cars, we developed a three-phased content campaign approach that would not only reignite the passion of pre-existing RLCS fans but also entice curious new viewers.
As the Fan of Fans, Coca-Cola celebrated fans in the place they call home. For Blizzard and Overwatch fans, home is the Panorama Diner. A widely known location in Overwatch, it’s the in-game realization of a home away from home. We brought in-game lore to life in a way that only Coke could do, and only Blizzard fans would appreciate, by meticulously recreating the Panorama Diner, Now Serving Coca-Cola.
The idea of extending what Louis Vuitton has done in more traditional sports to esports was only natural. The luxury brand partnered up with the global competition to design a one-of-a-kind trophy case to hold the coveted Summoner’s Cup. The travel case, revealed before the final, used state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and it took Louis Vuitton over 900 hours to create.
The world’s first-ever sponsorship of a virtual athlete. Coca-Cola went beyond basic brand placement and further than any brand had gone before by endorsing the in-game avatar Alex Hunter. Gamers were given the opportunity to play through an extensive brand experience within the game’s Journey mode and were offered something that had never been seen before: an in-game ad spot, where Alex Hunter accepted a can of Coke Zero from a fan (in a recreation of the famous Mean Joe Green spot).
Minority gamers are routinely left out of mainstream eSports coverage. Additionally, Historically Black Colleges & Universities were late entries into the tournament/league space despite the overwhelming majority of Black/African-Americans that regularly participate in gaming activities. The official HBCU eSports League and AFK NxT content series sought to bridge the gap and spotlight innovation in this community. During the inaugural season of the HBCU eSports League (November - April), AFK partnered with Cxmmunity for four 2-5 minute content pieces relevant to the associated stream. Each piece was designed to highlight a facet of the Black gaming community and/or HBCU experience from the rise of collegiate eSports, HBCU gaming labs, Black women in gaming and entertainment, and general eSports opportunities. AFK & Cxmmunity brought together partners such as Twitch, 100Thieves, Verizon, DTLR, Intel to bring this streaming series to live. Throughout the series, AFK NxT averaged 600,000 viewers per stream and even drew the attention of 1.1M viewers during the ProAm stream in 2021.
